Max Lucado Daily: Next Door Savior
Next Door Savior
Posted: 02 May 2011 11:01 PM PDT
“I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. ” Philippians 3:8, RSV
He was the single most significant person who ever lived . . . The head of the parade? Hardly. No one else shares the street. Who comes close? Humanity’s best and brightest fade like dime-store rubies next to him . . .
A just-God Jesus could make us but not understand us. A just-man Jesus could love us but never save us. But a God-man Jesus? Near enough to touch. Strong enough to trust.
Numbers 20
Water From the Rock
1 In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.
2 Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. 3 They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the LORD! 4 Why did you bring the LORD’s community into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here? 5 Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!”
6 Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them. 7 The LORD said to Moses, 8 “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”
9 So Moses took the staff from the LORD’s presence, just as he commanded him. 10 He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” 11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”
13 These were the waters of Meribah,[a] where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD and where he was proved holy among them.
Edom Denies Israel Passage
14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying:
“This is what your brother Israel says: You know about all the hardships that have come on us. 15 Our ancestors went down into Egypt, and we lived there many years. The Egyptians mistreated us and our ancestors, 16 but when we cried out to the LORD, he heard our cry and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt.
“Now we are here at Kadesh, a town on the edge of your territory. 17 Please let us pass through your country. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the King’s Highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”
18 But Edom answered:
“You may not pass through here; if you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword.”
19 The Israelites replied:
“We will go along the main road, and if we or our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We only want to pass through on foot—nothing else.”
20 Again they answered:
“You may not pass through.”
Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful army. 21 Since Edom refused to let them go through their territory, Israel turned away from them.
The Death of Aaron
22 The whole Israelite community set out from Kadesh and came to Mount Hor. 23 At Mount Hor, near the border of Edom, the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 24 “Aaron will be gathered to his people. He will not enter the land I give the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah. 25 Get Aaron and his son Eleazar and take them up Mount Hor. 26 Remove Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar, for Aaron will be gathered to his people; he will die there.”
27 Moses did as the LORD commanded: They went up Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community. 28 Moses removed Aaron’s garments and put them on his son Eleazar. And Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain, 29 and when the whole community learned that Aaron had died, all the Israelites mourned for him thirty days.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Hebrews 13:1-8
Concluding Exhortations
1 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. 2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. 3 Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”[a]
6 So we say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?”[b]
7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Never Alone
May 3, 2011 — by Bill Crowder
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” —Hebrews 13:5
Having played intercollegiate soccer, I’ve never lost my love for “The Beautiful Game.” I especially enjoy watching the English Premier League. One reason is the skill and speed with which the game is played there. Also, I love the way the fans sing in support of their beloved “sides.” For instance, Liverpool has for years had “You’ll Never Walk Alone” as its theme. How moving to hear 50,000 fans rise as one to sing the lyrics of that old standard! It’s an encouragement to players and fans alike that together they will see each other through to the end. Walk alone? Never.
This sentiment has meaning for everyone. Because each of us is made for community, isolation and loneliness are among the most painful of human experiences. During painful times, our faith is vital.
The child of God never needs to fear abandonment. Even if people turn on us, friends forsake us, or circumstances separate us from loved ones, we are never alone. God has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). This is not just a nice tune or clever lyrics offering an empty sentiment. It is the promise of God Himself to those who are the objects of His love. He is there—and He isn’t going away.
With Christ, you will never walk alone.
God’s unseen presence comforts me,
I know He’s always near;
And when life’s storms besiege my soul,
He says, “My child, don’t fear.” —D. De Haan
God’s presence with us is one of His greatest presents to us.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
May 3rd, 2011
Vital Intercession
. . . praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit . . . —Ephesians 6:18
As we continue on in our intercession for others, we may find that our obedience to God in interceding is going to cost those for whom we intercede more than we ever thought. The danger in this is that we begin to intercede in sympathy with those whom God was gradually lifting up to a totally different level in direct answer to our prayers. Whenever we step back from our close identification with God’s interest and concern for others and step into having emotional sympathy with them, the vital connection with God is gone. We have then put our sympathy and concern for them in the way, and this is a deliberate rebuke to God.
It is impossible for us to have living and vital intercession unless we are perfectly and completely sure of God. And the greatest destroyer of that confident relationship to God, so necessary for intercession, is our own personal sympathy and preconceived bias. Identification with God is the key to intercession, and whenever we stop being identified with Him it is because of our sympathy with others, not because of sin. It is not likely that sin will interfere with our intercessory relationship with God, but sympathy will. It is sympathy with ourselves or with others that makes us say, “I will not allow that thing to happen.” And instantly we are out of that vital connection with God.
Vital intercession leaves you with neither the time nor the inclination to pray for your own “sad and pitiful self.” You do not have to struggle to keep thoughts of yourself out, because they are not even there to be kept out of your thinking. You are completely and entirely identified with God’s interests and concerns in other lives. God gives us discernment in the lives of others to call us to intercession for them, never so that we may find fault with them.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Checking Your Cargo - #6342
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
It was the end of World War II, and the city of Berlin was being divided up by the allies. Now, the East Berliners, in what was to become Communist Berlin, drove a dump truck over to the west side to free Berlin. It was filled with garbage, and they just let it all be dumped out and then they drove away. Nice, huh?
Well, the people from West Berlin said, "OK, two can play this game." So they thought, "We'll pick up all that garbage, we'll put it in our truck and we'll dump it right back on the east side." They thought again about that, and they decided maybe that wasn't the best way to handle it. So, instead, they filled the dump truck, but they filled it with canned goods and non-perishable food items. Then they drove the truck over to the east side of Berlin, stacked all the food neatly, and put a little sign beside it. Here's what it said: Each gives what he has to give. Pretty devastating, huh? It was true in Berlin then, and well, it was true where you were today.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Checking Your Cargo."
Well, our word for today from the Word of God comes from Matthew 12 , and I'm going to begin reading at verse 34. Jesus says, "Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him." What Jesus is saying here is that your words continually betray what you heart is full of. It's kind of like what they said in Berlin, "Each gives what he has to give."
Now, we unload verbally whatever cargo we have to give to people. It would be revealing, wouldn't it, to hear tape excerpts of your conversations over the last few days. How would you like to listen to the tapes? I wonder, would we hear a lot of complaining, or down talk, where you're picking apart other people? Maybe we'd hear some dark talk - negative, depressing kinds of things?
Or maybe we would hear too much dirty talk; little innuendoes, being quick to pick up a double meaning in something, bedroom humor, or bathroom humor. Is that what's inside? Or is it about money, or the new toys you're buying for yourself, the new clothes. Is it about you all the time? Is that what your heart is full of - you talking about yourself all the time? Is it pressure that comes out, stressful talk, anger, bitterness?
What are you dumping on people: garbage or goodies? How do they feel after they have been with you? Do they feel lighter, or do they feel heavier? Do they feel bigger or feel smaller? See, you're giving them what you've been storing up. It's a result of what you've been reading, and watching, and who you've been hanging around with, what you've been laughing at, and what you talk about on the phone, or do on the Internet all the time.
Verse 37 says, "For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." Your words will be the basis for your judgment. Maybe it's time to evaluate your mental and emotional diet. Commit yourself to positive friends, to positive music, to positive books and websites, and above all, a non-negotiable time in the presence of Jesus before you drive your truck out of the garage every morning.
Let Him fill you up with good cargo for today. People around you have enough garbage dumped on them. Why don't you leave a stack of goodies?
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